The loved ones of a Kitchener female resident tragically stabbed to death by her former boyfriend in 2017 sorrowfully read victim impact statements on Wednesday, as the sentencing hearing for the man found guilty of her murder began. Earlier in the year, a jury delivered a guilty verdict for second-degree murder upon Ager Hasan in the case of the demise of Melinda Vasilije. Ms. Vasilije’s lifeless body was discovered in her Country Hill Drive residence on April 28, 2017. The autopsy revealed she had been stabbed a distressing 47 times.
The proceedings on Wednesday saw the Crown presenting fresh evidence for the judge to ponder upon prior to pronouncing the sentence. It was alleged by the Crown lawyers that Mr. Hasan deceived Ms. Vasilije’s family by using a counterfeit Facebook profile to post on a page established in her memory titled “Justice for Melinda”.
The post on the page insinuated the infidelity of both Ms. Vasilije and Mr. Hasan, suggesting their mutual exposure of such acts led to the unfortunate incident. A chilling message was also sent via Facebook to Ms. Vasilije’s mother, which sought to apportion some blame to her while mockingly referencing her other daughters.
Proof brought forth by a detective from Waterloo regional police indicated that the message and post originated from a phone registered to Mr. Hasan. However, under intense cross-examination from the defense team, the detective admitted they couldn’t conclusively establish who penned the messages, merely that they were sent from Hasan’s phone.
Victim impact statements were also part of the day’s proceedings. Contributions came from Vasilije’s distraught family and friends, thirteen such statements were tendered, and seven were verbally presented in court. Ms. Vasilije’s mother, Anna Todorovic, could barely hold back tears as she described her daughter as “My heart, my soul, my best friend.” Pained by her loss, she expressed her destroyed emotional state since the demise of her daughter.
Ms. Vasilije’s sister, Kristina, also expressed her sorrow and painted vivid imagery of the agonizing pain she felt when hearing her mother’s wails. She also introspectively queried if her actions could have, in any conceivable way, changed the tragic outcome of events, vehemently blaming Hasan the perpetrator, asserting his lack of shame or remorse. The complexity of the situation presented many unanswered questions to which she feared she might never find answers.
The sentencing hearing is set to continue on Thursday, when the court anticipates hearing from Hasan’s legal counsel. A conviction of second-degree murder carries an obligatory life imprisonment sentence with eligibility for parole varying between 10 to 25 years, based on the preference of the presiding judge.
